1. Technical Field
The illustrative embodiments generally relate to methods and one or more apparatuses for false event suppression for collision avoidance systems.
2. Background Art
Many automobiles now on the road have one or more sensors provided thereto that together help create a collision warning system (CWS). These sensors may include, but are not limited to, radar, cameras, and/or lidar.
As a vehicle approaches an object which could potentially cause a collision, the sensors begin receiving information about the relationship of the vehicle's position to the object. For example, if a tree were near a bend in the road, as the vehicle approached the bend the sensors may determine that the tree is directly ahead of the vehicle. But, as the vehicle got ever closer, the relationship between the vehicle's heading and the location of the tree would change as the car turned. Accordingly, the system may not issue a warning that the driver might impact the tree, unless the relationship is not changing quickly enough to avoid the tree based on the vehicle's speed (i.e., a slide off the turn into the tree is possible or likely).
Map data can further augment CWSs in vehicles. For example, in the above instance, if the vehicle had map and/or GPS data also available to it, it could determine that a turn prior to the detected location of the tree would be likely (without having to “guess” based on changing sensor data). Again, it may then only issue a warning if the vehicle is traveling at an excessive enough speed that a collision is possible or imminent.
It may be the case, however, that certain objects repeatedly cause false positives because, for example, the path of the car does not avoid these objects. One instance of such an object would be a metal plate in the road. The size and shape of the plate could be different enough from a road surface to initiate a collision alert, although driving over the plate does not actually cause an accident.
Other, similar false positives can also occur. It is useful to reduce the instances of false positives if possible, because alarms that are unnecessary can be distracting to the driver. Existing CWS systems often rely on repeated testing and refining of collision detection algorithms and sensing systems to attempt to more accurately define collision events.